Your  first year of marriage is a huge adjustment year.  You will get to know your spouse’s habits and will need to make changes to suit each other’s preferences.

For example, when Dustin and I got married I learned that his cleaning and organizational habits were even more extreme than I thought!  Here are a few changes that Dustin quickly insisted that I learn:

• Wipe my toothbrush after each use with a towel and put it away in a drawer
• Stack our plates every other color in the cabinets
• Fold the towels in a particular way
• Always place a knife, fork, and spoon at each table setting even if we’d only be using one utensil for a meal

Since we’ve been married for three years I do all of these things without even thinking about it but it was a huge adjustment in our first year of marriage!  I’m sure Dustin could give you a list of compromises he’s made, primarily trying to not freak out if he sees crumbs on the floor!

So on top of all the small changes you’ll be making in your first year of marriage to live well with your spouse, there comes another huge adjustment which is doing finances together.  No longer are you just responsible for paying your bills and managing your bank account but you’ll have combined finances.

Typically when couples get married, they will accrue debt from their spouse like student loan debt, car payments, credit card bills, etc.  This can be stressful!

I’m SO thankful that during our first year of marriage Dustin and I found out about Financial Peace University (FPU).  FPU is a 9-week course created by Dave Ramsey that teaches you how to handle money and to get out of debt as fast as possible.  I can’t recommend this course more highly!

You may think you know all there is about finances but I guarantee you’ll learn so much more from this class and most importantly get on the same page with your spouse to attack your financial goals as a team!

In the class you’ll learn everything from how to create a budget, how to get rid of debt as quickly as possible, what type of life insurance you should get, how to invest for retirement, etc.

When Dustin and I got married we purchased a home and had quite a bit of student loan debt.  Through following the principles taught in this class, we were able to pay off our student loan debt in one year!  This class gave us the tools, motivation, and focus to make it happen.

With all the adjustments that take place in the first year of marriage, don’t let financial stress take away any joy from your newlywed life!  Money fights are the #1 cause of divorce which means that working as a team with your finances is crucially important.

Check out this site to find the nearest location that is hosting Financial Peace University.  Taking this course with your spouse could be one of the best decisions you’ll make in your marriage.

Here are a couple bonus tips to learn more about handling money:

Bonus Tip #1- Read Dave Ramsey’s, Total Money Makeover.

Bonus Tip #2- Listen to Dave Ramsey’s daily radio show.  (I listen to his show by downloading the Dave Ramsey podcast and love to listen while I’m driving and working out!)

If you have any questions about the class, I would love to hear from you!  Leave a comment below or shoot me an email at stacey@stacey-lynn.com.